I agree but do think this method might lead somebody ( especially new) to find a new “author”. I am always trying to find that oddity in the corner of BGG that may have been overlooked and is only loosely related to anything I have ever played.
@@Neon_GorillaI absolutely agree with you and I think you've proposed some good ideas for searches. Even authors and designers jump around whether you're Shel Silverstein or Vlaada Chvatil.
Been into the hobby for a couple of years now and have to say you're doing great videos. I've watched hundreds of hours of boardgame creators and your content is up there. Well done.
Thanks Robin. I really appreciate that. We are alike. I to have watched countless hours since getting into this hobby. I do think the obsession is part of the fun. 🤩
Thanks I didn’t know if that would resonate with many. I did think there was a chance it put a few to sleep and in turn they could not click away giving me more watch time:) In all seriousness I appreciate the encouragement.
Playthroughs in general have given me a high hitrate. Totally Tabled's playthroughs especially :D Strategy videos also seem to work really well to suss out if those are thoughts you want to be having in a game. Your TMB vids for example!
yeah I like play throughs, depending on the game could be a big time investment, which is why I actually started making the highly editing TMB play throughs.
All that sounds great. I would just add a 1st and last step: 1st) Get any unplayed games you own played before buying new games last) Once you have a consideration set, either A) Play the game at a cafe/online B) Read the actual full rules pdf C) watch a full rules explanation and ideally a full play through of the game. Researching a new game should be something that is fun and clears a very high hurdle. And it's important that in that process you retain your focus on what it will be like to actually play, and not succumb to consumerism and end up loving the buying of games alone. Reviewers are well meaning , but they inadvertently fuel and normalize the consumerism around constantly buying new games. After watching their content its important to shift focus back onto the games themselves. I can't think of any better way to do that than actually playing a game at a cafe or diving into a rulebook.
yeah I do agree that would be optimal but not realistic for some, whether it is proximity or even getting a game group all there, plus the game has to be available to play which I know is not always the case but to agree for the pragmatic among us a more rigorous approach will save you money in the end.
That's a great way to think about filtering, and how to find something new! There are obviously a lot of ways to find new things, but I think this is probably a really reliable way to do it. I also have found that, if you have a game that you absolutely love, it's worth looking at the designer, and seeing what else they have released. It doesn't always work, but that's how I learned that Eric Lang designs games that resonate with me.
Thanks for the video. Such useful guidance! My use of BGG has been pretty unsophisticated to date (I had no idea how to access the filter). I feel so much more empowered now!❤
I'd love to get a room tour considering you've got games on shelves and games stacked on the floor 🤣 Classic signs of a problem, when that problem manifests from the floor up.
Good tips! I feel blessed for not being too deep into the "cult of the new". When it comes to BGG, I never care about ratings or release years. So I'd just search for discussion or contest forums about game types I'd be interested with (i.e. solo pnp games). From there I found a lot of hidden gems like Back of House and Foothold Enterprises, stuff that might be low ranked, released since a decade ago, or never been heard by people, but I ended up loving. (Back of House is one of the first modern boardgames I owned, and I've been keeping it for 3 years already.) This method also introduced me into some underrated designers like Todd Sanders and Iffix Y. Santaph.
Great video! One of my adjacent hobbies to playing boardgames is looking for games that I might like. Hits and misses seem to be a part of this proces, but that is okay. I also like to play around with the filter options on BGG. You inspired me to do a bit more of deep diving there. Another way I ‘mine’ BGG is by using the ‘Fans also like’ lists on every game page. I use it both ways: either look for games that pop up there on the game page of my current favorites. Or checking out a new game and look what games it roughly compares to. These ‘Fans also like’ lists are likely to contain games of the same designer / same publisher and games that came out in the same year, but it still is a great resource to navigate.
I love the way you said that. Sometimes it feels like the main hobby :). Great suggestion on the list. I do look at those every once in a while. They do tend to show me stuff I know about but at this point that is not surprising.
I knew all the others, but never ran across Board Game Bollocks... my side is splitting from the videos I'm watching over there. Great recommendation - thanks!
A tool is only as good as you know how to use it. Great rundown of the BGG filters. I'd also recommend if a discord/slack group exists for one of your content creators join that too. I'm in a few different chats and love the connections you can build there.
interesting you say that, I have bee day dreaming about starting a community but have not personally had alot of luck in getting connected to others. What are the things that have helped you connect in the groups you are in?
Connecting to the groups as in getting to know everyone at a more personal level? It really varies from group to group. I've been in several some are just too big, too many chat groups and too many people. The groups hard to fit into. The ones I like are very welcoming, family like. Talk about life and board games equally. Paul Grogan, CTG and Brews and Boardgames are great communities. Have to back on patreon for some.
Great list of CCs (especially Shelfside)! You can swing for the fences: see top lists of various CCs and BGGers and see what games people are unbelievably passionate about (this is how I found SI) and just try them to see if it hooks. For instance, some of the designer diaries for Imperium: Horizons was written by a player who played hundreds (thousands?) of games of Imperium. Personally I bounced off the Imperium system, but I imagine for someone else it may just be that made-for-me #1 game.
Favorite and least effective method: I like wandering through my FLGS and chatting with the owners. They mostly don’t have the same tastes as I do but I like that they exist and want to support them. Every once in a while I’ll find something that hits.
Great suggestions! I've used the advanced search a lot but hadn't noticed the bottom section of sorting by category, mechanic and subdomain 👍 I also have found certain designers that I do and don't mesh with. I tend to enjoy a lot of Knizia and Feld games but not as many Rosenberg or Pfister games (with some exceptions on both sides).
for me the designer link is a hit and miss but I can definitely see some really consistent designers able to be linked pretty easily. Lacerda is one that comes to mind.
A quick comment before finishing the vid... I think it is better to find consistent (tastes) reviewers and understand them. I feel I know a few creators, and when someone loves or pans something, I interpret it based on how it overlays with my taste. Oh it's too heavy for this channel, I should take a look... oh they love this other one, it's probably not for me, I don't care about 2p.
Wow Everdell was the game that got my gf into boardgames. Castles of Burgundy and Obsession continued it. Life of the amazonia is on my must buy list, sadly hard to get 😢 Looking for thise great 2p games too!
that looks to be a fading Gem, #269 is respectable but it was #11 when BGG started tracking in 2005...is this a case of antiquated design or aesthetics that did not keep up with the times? sounds like the rules are a little convoluted based on the couple reviews I read.
@@Neon_Gorilla In my opinion, it's a gem, regardless of "fading" and rankings. I have zero interest in keeping up with "hotness". I hadn't even heard of Goa before Sunday, but if it were in the stores now, I would jump on it. I'm not paying the out-of-print premium of $120, though.
I don't know why BGG doesn't have a "if you like x, you'll like y" feature. I'm no math whiz, but it isn't hard to conceive of an algorithm that looks at what you rate a 9 or 10, looks at other people who rate that same game a 9 or 10, and then looks at what other games those people rate a 9 or 10. BGG is sitting on a mountain of data. Why not put it to good use?
that would be nice to proactively search, there is a section at the bottom of each games page called "fans also like". When I look at ticket to ride for example though I see all the typical suspects. Nothing very exciting...I wish it would populate with highly rated games with similar mechanics or theme etc. I think the fans of will basically be an echo chamber that gives you very similar experiences not and introduction into a new genre or even a step up in complexity.
Your method is about the opposite of mine. I don't feel youtube influencers are the best way to find games, and definitely not a good place to verify if a game is for me, no matter how much their general taste aligns with mine. The advanced search on BGG isn't a terrible way to do it though. You're likely to find something you haven't seen before that way. My general path to new games is discovering them by semi-random people mentioning them on the BGG forums. The next step is looking at pictures (and not the neatly laid out ones created by the marketing team). That should give you a sense of what kind of game it is. You can supplement this with youtube content where you get to see what the game provides (and I'm only talking about the game components. DO NOT LISTEN TO WHAT IS BEING SAID BY THE EVIL CZcamsR!) The last step is downloading the rulebook and getting a sense of if the game is playable or just made to look that way. Throughout the process you have to check that it at most breaks 3 of the rules you made for yourself about reasons not to buy the game.
@@Neon_GorillaMaybe evil, but only harmful if we listen to you It doesn't take long to verify if a game is a good option. Reading the BGG forums takes ages, though, so "my method" works best if you enjoy engaging with people there and your goal isn't primarily to find new games.
CZcams creators are all about the hype and the hotness, they're the WORST place to go to for finding new board games. That's how you get too many games you don't like. Terrible advice.
I think finding designers you like is similar to finding authors you like. That has been the biggest success for game buying for me.
I agree but do think this method might lead somebody ( especially new) to find a new “author”. I am always trying to find that oddity in the corner of BGG that may have been overlooked and is only loosely related to anything I have ever played.
@@Neon_GorillaI absolutely agree with you and I think you've proposed some good ideas for searches. Even authors and designers jump around whether you're Shel Silverstein or Vlaada Chvatil.
Been into the hobby for a couple of years now and have to say you're doing great videos. I've watched hundreds of hours of boardgame creators and your content is up there. Well done.
Thanks Robin. I really appreciate that. We are alike. I to have watched countless hours since getting into this hobby. I do think the obsession is part of the fun. 🤩
Just wanted to say good job pumping out content. You're quickly becoming one of my favorites. Love your use of data in your videos
Thanks I didn’t know if that would resonate with many. I did think there was a chance it put a few to sleep and in turn they could not click away giving me more watch time:) In all seriousness I appreciate the encouragement.
Playthroughs in general have given me a high hitrate.
Totally Tabled's playthroughs especially :D
Strategy videos also seem to work really well to suss out if those are thoughts you want to be having in a game. Your TMB vids for example!
yeah I like play throughs, depending on the game could be a big time investment, which is why I actually started making the highly editing TMB play throughs.
All that sounds great.
I would just add a 1st and last step:
1st) Get any unplayed games you own played before buying new games
last) Once you have a consideration set, either A) Play the game at a cafe/online B) Read the actual full rules pdf C) watch a full rules explanation and ideally a full play through of the game.
Researching a new game should be something that is fun and clears a very high hurdle. And it's important that in that process you retain your focus on what it will be like to actually play, and not succumb to consumerism and end up loving the buying of games alone. Reviewers are well meaning , but they inadvertently fuel and normalize the consumerism around constantly buying new games. After watching their content its important to shift focus back onto the games themselves. I can't think of any better way to do that than actually playing a game at a cafe or diving into a rulebook.
yeah I do agree that would be optimal but not realistic for some, whether it is proximity or even getting a game group all there, plus the game has to be available to play which I know is not always the case but to agree for the pragmatic among us a more rigorous approach will save you money in the end.
That's a great way to think about filtering, and how to find something new! There are obviously a lot of ways to find new things, but I think this is probably a really reliable way to do it. I also have found that, if you have a game that you absolutely love, it's worth looking at the designer, and seeing what else they have released. It doesn't always work, but that's how I learned that Eric Lang designs games that resonate with me.
Great suggestion. Yeah I tend to do that as well. Sounds like another video ;)
Thanks for the video. Such useful guidance! My use of BGG has been pretty unsophisticated to date (I had no idea how to access the filter). I feel so much more empowered now!❤
Glad I could be of service!
I'd love to get a room tour considering you've got games on shelves and games stacked on the floor 🤣 Classic signs of a problem, when that problem manifests from the floor up.
@@florjangjolaj4436 to be fair that is a shelf behind me :)
Good tips! I feel blessed for not being too deep into the "cult of the new". When it comes to BGG, I never care about ratings or release years. So I'd just search for discussion or contest forums about game types I'd be interested with (i.e. solo pnp games). From there I found a lot of hidden gems like Back of House and Foothold Enterprises, stuff that might be low ranked, released since a decade ago, or never been heard by people, but I ended up loving. (Back of House is one of the first modern boardgames I owned, and I've been keeping it for 3 years already.)
This method also introduced me into some underrated designers like Todd Sanders and Iffix Y. Santaph.
Very nice, there are a ton of under the radar gems out there!
Great video!
One of my adjacent hobbies to playing boardgames is looking for games that I might like.
Hits and misses seem to be a part of this proces, but that is okay.
I also like to play around with the filter options on BGG. You inspired me to do a bit more of deep diving there.
Another way I ‘mine’ BGG is by using the ‘Fans also like’ lists on every game page. I use it both ways: either look for games that pop up there on the game page of my current favorites. Or checking out a new game and look what games it roughly compares to.
These ‘Fans also like’ lists are likely to contain games of the same designer / same publisher and games that came out in the same year, but it still is a great resource to navigate.
I love the way you said that. Sometimes it feels like the main hobby :). Great suggestion on the list. I do look at those every once in a while. They do tend to show me stuff I know about but at this point that is not surprising.
This is a super good idea! I also didn’t know about that search filter system
I’m interested in what you find…
I knew all the others, but never ran across Board Game Bollocks... my side is splitting from the videos I'm watching over there. Great recommendation - thanks!
yeah he is awesome and not for the faint of heart :)
A tool is only as good as you know how to use it. Great rundown of the BGG filters.
I'd also recommend if a discord/slack group exists for one of your content creators join that too. I'm in a few different chats and love the connections you can build there.
interesting you say that, I have bee day dreaming about starting a community but have not personally had alot of luck in getting connected to others. What are the things that have helped you connect in the groups you are in?
Connecting to the groups as in getting to know everyone at a more personal level? It really varies from group to group. I've been in several some are just too big, too many chat groups and too many people. The groups hard to fit into. The ones I like are very welcoming, family like. Talk about life and board games equally. Paul Grogan, CTG and Brews and Boardgames are great communities. Have to back on patreon for some.
Great list of CCs (especially Shelfside)!
You can swing for the fences: see top lists of various CCs and BGGers and see what games people are unbelievably passionate about (this is how I found SI) and just try them to see if it hooks. For instance, some of the designer diaries for Imperium: Horizons was written by a player who played hundreds (thousands?) of games of Imperium. Personally I bounced off the Imperium system, but I imagine for someone else it may just be that made-for-me #1 game.
Thanks and great suggestion. I do read a lot of designer diaries but don’t imagine many do :)
Favorite and least effective method: I like wandering through my FLGS and chatting with the owners. They mostly don’t have the same tastes as I do but I like that they exist and want to support them. Every once in a while I’ll find something that hits.
I should have mentioned to go to your flgs as a last step. Mine is floor to ceiling games and a nightmare fore discovery.
Great suggestions! I've used the advanced search a lot but hadn't noticed the bottom section of sorting by category, mechanic and subdomain 👍 I also have found certain designers that I do and don't mesh with. I tend to enjoy a lot of Knizia and Feld games but not as many Rosenberg or Pfister games (with some exceptions on both sides).
for me the designer link is a hit and miss but I can definitely see some really consistent designers able to be linked pretty easily. Lacerda is one that comes to mind.
Step 2 is definitely something new for me to explore. Thank you.
Let me know what you find!
A quick comment before finishing the vid... I think it is better to find consistent (tastes) reviewers and understand them. I feel I know a few creators, and when someone loves or pans something, I interpret it based on how it overlays with my taste. Oh it's too heavy for this channel, I should take a look... oh they love this other one, it's probably not for me, I don't care about 2p.
Yeah I certainly calibrate my assessment based on the creators history. Great point.
Wow Everdell was the game that got my gf into boardgames. Castles of Burgundy and Obsession continued it. Life of the amazonia is on my must buy list, sadly hard to get 😢
Looking for thise great 2p games too!
I do have a copy on the way so I will tell you how it is:)
@@Neon_Gorilla looking forward to it!
Goa: New Expedition
20 years old, hidden gem.
that looks to be a fading Gem, #269 is respectable but it was #11 when BGG started tracking in 2005...is this a case of antiquated design or aesthetics that did not keep up with the times? sounds like the rules are a little convoluted based on the couple reviews I read.
@@Neon_Gorilla In my opinion, it's a gem, regardless of "fading" and rankings. I have zero interest in keeping up with "hotness". I hadn't even heard of Goa before Sunday, but if it were in the stores now, I would jump on it. I'm not paying the out-of-print premium of $120, though.
@@darbyl3872 I certainly would try it, looks interesting...I wonder how many of those are out there, former top 100 that have faded in popularity
I don't know why BGG doesn't have a "if you like x, you'll like y" feature. I'm no math whiz, but it isn't hard to conceive of an algorithm that looks at what you rate a 9 or 10, looks at other people who rate that same game a 9 or 10, and then looks at what other games those people rate a 9 or 10.
BGG is sitting on a mountain of data. Why not put it to good use?
that would be nice to proactively search, there is a section at the bottom of each games page called "fans also like". When I look at ticket to ride for example though I see all the typical suspects. Nothing very exciting...I wish it would populate with highly rated games with similar mechanics or theme etc. I think the fans of will basically be an echo chamber that gives you very similar experiences not and introduction into a new genre or even a step up in complexity.
Your method is about the opposite of mine. I don't feel youtube influencers are the best way to find games, and definitely not a good place to verify if a game is for me, no matter how much their general taste aligns with mine.
The advanced search on BGG isn't a terrible way to do it though. You're likely to find something you haven't seen before that way.
My general path to new games is discovering them by semi-random people mentioning them on the BGG forums. The next step is looking at pictures (and not the neatly laid out ones created by the marketing team). That should give you a sense of what kind of game it is. You can supplement this with youtube content where you get to see what the game provides (and I'm only talking about the game components. DO NOT LISTEN TO WHAT IS BEING SAID BY THE EVIL CZcamsR!) The last step is downloading the rulebook and getting a sense of if the game is playable or just made to look that way. Throughout the process you have to check that it at most breaks 3 of the rules you made for yourself about reasons not to buy the game.
Ouch, all I read was I am evil😈 how many hours does it take you to find a game? Your method is rigorous.
@@Neon_GorillaMaybe evil, but only harmful if we listen to you It doesn't take long to verify if a game is a good option. Reading the BGG forums takes ages, though, so "my method" works best if you enjoy engaging with people there and your goal isn't primarily to find new games.
@@stenolebrretzen675 fair, you discover through osmosis. You better get off CZcams soon though or you might get infected by the hotness.
CZcams creators are all about the hype and the hotness, they're the WORST place to go to for finding new board games. That's how you get too many games you don't like. Terrible advice.
Try watching the whole thing next time before making an ignorant comment.